Flexible grain door for closed cars



Sept. 21, 1954 E. H. SUESS FLEXIBLE GRAIN DOOR FOR CLOSED CARS FiledOct. 10, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

lNVENTOR EDWIN H. SUESS BY W ATTORNEY P 21, 1954 r E. H. suEss I2,689,608

FLEXIBLE GRAIN DOOR FOR CLOSED CARS Filed Oct. 10, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2FIG.2 My

o o IO x Q 0 \ao o Q o 2s 8 0 0 r IO V 3 o y o o INVENTOR EDWIN H. SUESSBY /A- a//;;;

ATTORNEY Sept, 21, 1954 E. H. SUESS FLEXIBLE GRAIN DOOR FOR CLOSED CARS3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 10 1951 I l I ll I [l [I ll I [I II N I II.L

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L L .f "v T INVENTOR EDWIN H. SUESS ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 21, 1954UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in grain doors for application toclosed cars for transporting bulk grain and, more particularly, thisinvention relates to a flexible or disposable grain door.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel flexible grain door.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel flexible graindoor having nonmetallic reinforcing members.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel methodand means for securing a flexible grain door to the door posts and floorof a closed car to close the doorway between said posts.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription, reference being had to th drawings.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novelconstruction and arrangement and the novel devices and combination ofdevices hereinafter described and defined in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the improved grain doorapplied as a closure for a doorway in one side of a closed car;

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, except that it is viewed fromthe inside of the car;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view in section taken onthe irregular line 33 ofFig. 2, on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 4 is a view of the outside of the improved grain door spread outflat and showing, by means of broken lines, where the grain door is tobe folded as the same is being applied to a closed car, an intermediateportion of the grain door being broken away.

In the drawings is shown a fragment of one side 5 of a closed car havinga doorway 6 between door posts I. The floor and the door sill of the carare designated by the numerals 8 and 9, respectively. For the purpose ofthis case it will not be necessary to show the conventional storm doorslidably mounted on the outside of the car.

The improved flexible or disposable grain door 10 is, as shown, two-plyformed of an inner rectangular sheet ll of tough paper or other suitablematerial and a similar outer sheet l2. In forming the grain door In, twonon-metallic reinforcing tapes I3 are attached to the inner side of theinner sheet I] by a suitable adhesive,

extend diagonally to opposite corners and cross at the center of saidsheet. A plurality of similar horizontally spaced reinforcing tapes 14are likewise secured to the inner side of the inner sheet H. A widereinforcing strip of burlap, plastic, jute or other suitable material 15is cemented to the inner side of the inner sheet ll over the tapes |3-I4at each side portion thereof. A similar wide strip l6 of the samematerial as the strips [5 is cemented to the inner sheet ll between oroverlapping the strips 15 at the bottom of the grain door 10. In actualcommercial practice, the order in which the strips are applied to theinner sheet H is immaterial; the reinforcing strips [6 may eitherunderlie or overlie the reinforcing strip [5. Finally, the outer sheetI2 is cemented to the tapes l3-i4, the strips l5l6 and the inner sheetH. In place of the strips I 5l6, a single sheet of the same material thesize of the grain door It) may be substituted therefor.

Before the drain door I0 is mounted to close the lower portions of thedoorway 6, a pry or fulcrum board [1 is placed edgewise on the floor 8in the doorway 6 with its end portions overlapping the posts I on theinside of the car and secured by nails to said posts.

In mounting the grain door [0, the same is held up on the inside of thecar and secured at its upper portion by nails to the door post I, withits side portion overlapping said posts equidistantly. Before attachingthe grain door [0 to the door posts 1, the same is positioned with thefolding line [8 at the upper edge of the pry board II. The grain door [0is attached to the posts 1 by sufiicient nails to hold the same fiatwiseagainst the inner side of said posts. From the folding line [8, thegrain door I0 is turned inwardly on the upper edge of the pry board l1and then folded downwardly on the line 19 on the inner side of said pryboard to the floor 8. At the floor 8 the grain door is again foldedinwardly on the line 20 to afford a floor flap 2|.

An upright cleat 22 is placed against that portion of the grain door l0overlapping each door post I and nailed to said post. The side portionof the grain door [0, outwardly of the outer edge of the cleat 22, isfolded on the line 23 onto said cleat. This same side portion of thegrain door [0 is again folded on the line 24 onto the inner side of thecleat 22. The lower end of the cleats 22 rests on those portions of thegrain door It! folded over the upper edge of the pry board l1 and form agrain-tight joint therebetween.

A second cleat 25 is placed over each cleat 22 with the respective sideportion of the grain door therebetween, and with its lower end portionoverlapping the pry board I! and its lower end resting on the floor flap2!. These second cleats 25 are nailed to the cleat 22 and the door posts7. In mounting the grain door [0, the same is pulled taut between thedoor posts i before the same is secured thereto.

A floor board 26 is placed endwise between the door post 1 over thefloor fiap 2|, pressed edgewise against the grain door l on the innerside of the pry board I! and nailed to the floor 8. Obviously, the pryboard I! and the floor board 26 with the grain door It therebetween,afford a grain-tight joint between the grain door 19 and the floor 8 ofthe car. The primary object of the strips I is to prevent the grain doorIt from tearing at the nails fastening the cleats 22 and 25 to the postsI.

In actual installation of the grain door 19, a protection board which isa duplicate of the pry board I! will be nailed to the door posts 1 onthe inner sides thereof at the top portion of said grain door. Thepurpose of this protection board is to permit workmen and inspectors toenter and leave the car above the grain door [0 without damaging saidgrain door. This protection board also affords a support for a ladder ora grain spout through which bulk grain is discharged into the car.

To open the storm door of a car, the point of a pry bar is jabbed intothe pry board Hand used as a lever.

The initial step to unload a car of bulk grain, after the storm door isopened, is to cut the grain door down from the top with a knife or otheredged tool at the door posts I, and when the tension of the weight ofthe grain is released by such cutting, no danger is involved to theworkmen, as in the case of steel reinforcing strips which snap and whiptheir jagged edges when released from tension. Also the use of myimproved disposable grain door eliminates all danger to the workmenbefore and during disposal of the same; whereas with steel reinforcingstrips, there is the danger of workmen being cut by the jagged steeledges.

While the drawings and the specification illustrate and describe a graindoor for use in connection with the handling of bulk grain, it will 4 beunderstood that a closure of the type disclosed is equally adaptable forapplication to a closed car in the handling of any materials shipped inbulk form.

While there are herein disclosed but a limited number of embodiments ofthe structure, process and product of the invention herein presented, itis possible to produce still other embodiments without departing fromthe inventive concept herein disclosed, and it is desired, therefore,that only such limitations be imposed on the appended claims as arestated herein, or required by the prior art.

What I claim is:

In a structure of the class described including a floor, two postshaving a passageway therebetween, a pry board resting edgewise on thefloor with its end portions overlapping the posts on the inside thereofand secured thereto, a flexible non-metallic closure for the passageway,overlapping the posts on the inside thereof, folded over the upper edgeportion and inner side of the pry board and onto the floor to afford afloor flap, a cleat resting on the upper edge of the pry board with theclosure therebetween and secured to each post on the inner side thereofwith the closure therebetween, said closure being folded over eachcleat, a second cleat resting on the floor, overlapping the pry boardand the first-noted cleat and secured thereto with the closuretherebetween, a floor board abutting the pry board, resting on the floorand secured thereto with the closure between the floor board and the pryboard and between the floor board and the floor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,322,855 Whitmore 1- Nov. 25, 1919 1,335,058 Jackson Mar. 30,1920 1,755,991 Johnson Apr. 22, 1930 1,871,571 Weber Aug. 16, 19321,894,219 Gibbs Jan. 10, 1933 2,116,260 Corkran May 3,1938 2,146,592Poulsen Feb. '7, 1939 2,310,860 Moon Feb. 9, 1943 2,595,087 Leslie Apr.29, 1952

